Afghan Senate against politicizing hajj pilgrimage

KABUL (Pajhwok): Meshrano Jirga or Senate deputy chairman on Saturday praised the Saudi Arabia government for serving the entire Muslim community and criticized countries who ‘mix the sacred annual hajj pilgrimage with politics.’

Dr. Mohammad Asif Sedeqi told Pajhwok Afghan News the Saudi government was not only assisting the Afghans in the performance of the hajj but the kingdom had been supporting Afghanistan since the Soviet Union invasion until date.

He said no other country, except the Saudi Arabia, could manage the hajj affairs because it was beyond others’ ability to serve millions of pilgrims.

Sedeqi welcomed recent remarks by a Kabul-based Saudi diplomat, who called the Taliban a terrorist group.

The Saudi charge de affairs during a press conference last week in Kabul said his government had evidence to prove Qatar was supporting the Afghan Taliban and other terrorist groups.

The deputy Senate chairman urged Saudi clerics to issue decrees against the activities of the Taliban and other such groups.

He said the Taliban were misusing religion to serve their own interests. Sedeqi lashed out at countries who were politicizing the hajj.

He said Afghanistan fully supported services the Saudi government offered to pilgrims. He said the Meshrano Jirga was strongly opposed to internationalizing the pilgrimage.

He said no country could match the experience the Saudis had in serving pilgrims.